as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of powerless
Feeling powerless driving a CATS bus At times, drivers work on high alert, unsure whether passengers who are threatening them will get physical, the former bus drivers said.
—
Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
Trump will do his utmost to remind them of their painful and powerless present.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
There were more than 1,700 customers without power in Jackson County and over 330 customers left powerless in Platte County.
—Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
Kwan repeatedly asked Espinal to cut it out, her suit says, but didn’t report him, feeling powerless.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
Trump will do his utmost to remind them of their painful and powerless present.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
There were more than 1,700 customers without power in Jackson County and over 330 customers left powerless in Platte County.
—Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
Kwan repeatedly asked Espinal to cut it out, her suit says, but didn’t report him, feeling powerless.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powerless
Adjective
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Over the course of a 60-yard run, Maradona danced past opponents, escaped challenges and left English defenders helpless before beating the goalkeeper with a clinical finish.—
Cesar R. Torres,
The Conversation,
17 June 2026
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Arturo has grown used to driving by traffic stops, then circling back to move his friends’ and neighbors’ abandoned cars to their helpless families left behind.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Earlier this year, Neuralink—the world’s most high-profile and well-funded BCI startup—launched a clinical trial to enable paralyzed patients to output verbal thoughts directly as text or speech.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
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McConnell has always appeared to have a somewhat unsteady gate — a childhood bout of polio left him with a partially paralyzed leg.—
Eric McDaniel,
NPR,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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But lingering high ticket prices combined with weaker teams might mean sparse attendance.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
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Tokyo wants to appear to be fighting a weak yen, while welcoming it in private.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powerless. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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